Ronan Takara: The New Avatar
by Shakermaker12625
Summary: Takes place 60-80 years after the events of Book Four of Legend of Korra. After a devastating natural disaster, tensions between nonbenders and benders explode into a dangerous new world full of new technologies.
1. Back Home

20 Years Ago...

After the fall of Kuvira and her army, peace had returned to the world. The now destroyed Republic City was not rebuilt, but was expanded outside the ruins and the new spirit portal created from the massive spirit super weapon.

As the years rolled on, technology continued its vast advancements due to Future Industries. These technological advancements gave nonbenders much needed strength to hold their own.

Small conflicts began appearing from time to time, but with Avatar Korra, the conflicts never lasted long to gain any plight. But over the course of the years, tensions rose between benders and nonbenders.

But everything went to hell towards the end of Korra's life. A massive and devastating solar flare from the Sun wreaked havoc all over the world. Benders used their ability to shield themselves from the flare while leaving nonbenders vulnerable to the devastation. Korra and the other air benders did what they could to shield Republic City. Korra, above everyone else, gave it her all to save the city. Ultimately, Korra's life force was completely depleted, ending her life. Casualties in the city were minor, but other nonbender cities and towns around the world suffered major casualties.

This is when the protagonist of story was born. Ronan Takara.

18 Years Ago...

Tensions between benders and nonbenders rose to an all time high. Without the Avatar to help keep the peace, small skirmishes broke out. With technological advancements on the nonbenders side, it gave them a much needed advantage. Most fights were evenly matched, or ended in stale mates. But the conflict gained plight, and armies began forming.

Ronan's village was under an imminant attack from a nonbender army armed with small munition tanks, trebuchets, and single-fire guns. It was a known fact that Ronan Takara was the new Avatar. In order to protect him, Ronan's parents fled with him, but a small team gave chase. The only option available was to take Ronan to the Spirit Realm for protection.

Just as the approached the southern portal, the small force of nonbenders attacked. Ronan's parents were dead before they hit the ground. Ronan fell into the Spirit portal and was transported into the Spirit World. The nonbenders quickly entered in themselves to capture Ronan. As they moved in, the spirits in the vicinity repelled the enemies in protection for the Avatar.

After the remaining soldiers fled back to their world, the spirits cared for Ronan. It was after many days that Iroh stumbled upon Ronan, and took him into his care.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter One: Back Home<strong>_

Ronan sat alone high on a mountain top, overlooking the tundra during the sunset. It has been three days since he exited back to the human world through the south pole spirit portal. He was only equipped with a small pack, and two spirit infused scimitars. During the eighteen years Ronan was in the Spirit world, the conflict between the benders and nonbenders escalated even farther without the mediation from the Avatar.

It was weird to be back home for him. His home world that is. The town he was born in was completely ravaged. The air around him was cold. He used his chi energy to keep himself warm. He scanned the horizon, enjoying the scenery. But something caught his attention in the distance. Thick black smoke, and echoes from explosions. He simply sighed as he stood up.

"I best get going. Something's going on."

And with that, he took off running at a high speed towards the scene.

When he was halfway there, the booming in the distance ceased. Whatever happened had to have ended. He ran harder.

As he neared, Ronan saw a small village on fire. The wooden homes engulfed in flames, surrounded by many men and metal vehicles. All the men were armed with single fire weapons, perfect for long ranged encounters. They spotted Ronan and ordered him to stop where he was. He complied. Three men equipped with platinum body armor approached him. The letters "NBSF" were labeled on their chest plates.

They examined Ronan, not knowing who he is, and took notice of his scimitars.

"Good, you're not a bender." The one soldier said.

"Thought we were going to have a problem here, heh." The second soldier said.

"Where did you come from?" The third asked. "Are you from here?"

Ronan analyzed the situation. "No, I come from a village, er, about five miles that way." He said, pointing back where he came from. "I heard the commotion and ran here to see what was going on."

"Well, what do you think boy? This is a water bending village. We came to eliminate and capture the remaining survivors."

Ronan was taken aback. "But why?"

"Why?! Haha! Your village must be cut off from the rest of the world."

The one soldier started staring intently on Ronan. "Our map says this is the only village here for at least 30 miles. And with you being a nonbender, it should be of no surprise for you that we have been eliminating benders from all over the world." He paused. "I'm not sure if I caught your name. What was your name again?"

"... My name is-"

Before Ronan finished his sentence, he heard a scream come from inside the village.

"We found another one!" Someone shouted. Out of the smoke came two guards dragging a small girl out. She couldn't have been more than seven years old. "What do you want us to do with her? She bended water at us."

A man wearing ceremonial armor stepped out of one of the vehicles. He walked up to her, still in the two soldiers grip. He grabbed her by the chin and lifted her face to look her in the eyes. He pushed her long black to hair to the side, revealing a black eye.

After a brief moment of silence, "Kill her."

"With pleasure." The soldier at her right side said with glee. He held out his knife, ready to attack.

Ronan had fire in eyes. Without hesitation, he bended a strong blast of air, launching the solider through the wall of a burning building.

"Kill them! Quickly!" The officer shouted. "Kill them!"

The second solider at the girls' side readied to attack her, but he met the same resistance from Ronan as the other guard and went flying into the village. The three soldiers near Ronan slashed their swords at him. He quickly wielded his scimitars and deflected the blows. He took a deep breath and sent energy into the swords, engulfing the sword in flames.

"It's the Avatar!" Many men yelled.

Ronan slashed back, sending a wave of fire into the group of soldiers, knocking them down into the snow. He wasted no time to rush to the girls' side to defend her. Dozens of soldiers rush at them. Ronan quickly formed a giant wall of ice and shot it at the score of men, sending them all flying. The officer had his gun readied and aimed at Ronan. He shot and before the bullet reached its mark, Ronan sent a giant block of ice in its path then sent it flying at the officer. He quickly dove out of the way and the block of ice smashed the vehicle to pieces.

Ronan turned and picked the girl up in his arms. "Hold on tight, were are getting out of here and fast." The girl looked at him teary eyed and nodded her head. He ran back into the village in the cover of the smoke. He ran past the soldiers he attacked as they recovered from the blows. Then he saw the bodies of the inhabitants of the village and its attackers, lying dead in the snow. The girl screamed out, pointing. Ronan looked over and saw a woman leaning up again a wall, still alive. He ran to her side and the girl jumped down.

"Mother! Please, we have to go!' She cried out. "Please!"

The woman clutched at her abdomen, blood running down, tainting the snow. "I'm sorry... Aki..." She said in a weakened manor. She extended an arm and brushed the girls' cheek. "Please, run away, far away from here." She winced at the pain. She turned her head to Ronan. "Please... Please, I beg of you, take care of her." A tear ran down her face. The girl continued to cry out, hugging her mother. The shouts from the soldiers began to flood the village though the smoke.

"I'll take care of her. You have my word, ma'am." Ronan said.

"..T-Thank.. Y-you..." She said softly. Her eyes closed and her head slumped down. Aki cried out, louder, realizing her mother is now gone.

"I hear them! Over here!"

Ronan turned and could see the soldiers through the smoke. He quickly picked the girl up and ran. She still cried out for her mother.

Ronan was only back in the human world for a few days, and he's already seen more than what he wanted to.

* * *

><p>Ronan gained much distance from the nonbender army. He had a fire going to keep Aki warm. She sat on the opposite side, silent, snuggled in a blanket. He tried talking to her, asking questions, but she would not answer. She's still in shock from the loss of her mother.<p>

"Y'know, I kinda know what you are feeling." Ronan sighed. "I lost my parents when I was young. I never got to know them though." She slowly shifted her eyes at him. "I only ever got to live because they manage to get me to the spirit world before they got murdered. I've been their since up until three days ago."

The only sound in the air was the crackling from the fire. Ronan took out a map from his pack. It was outdated by eighteen years since it was his parents' map.

"There should be another town about an hour from here to the North. Are you okay to go, or do you want to wait?"

Aki looked back towards where her village is at, now probably burnt to ashes. She turned back to Ronan and nodded.

Ronan stood up and walked over to her, and he held out his hand. She slowly grabbed his hand, and he picked her up. He looked at her black eye.

"Before we go," he said, "Let's take care of that." He took out a flask from his pack. "I got some water from the spirit world. It has great healing powers." He placed some of the spirit water around her eyes with his fingers and it began to glow. Her bruise around her right eye was gone. "There we go. Good as new." He knelt down. "Come on, I'll piggy back you there." She complied and slowly climbed onto his back. He stood back up and began running towards the town.


	2. Retaliation

_**Chapter Two: Retaliation**_

After nearly two hours of traveling, Ronan and Aki made it to the town of Shuǐ. During their trip, he tried talking to Aki, but she remained mute. Regardless, he continued talking in hopes that it will relax her. When they entered, it was noticeable that the population of the town was not high in numbers. It looked similar to Aki's home town, just minus the flames and smoke. The wooden buildings were covered in animal skins, and reinforced with added layers of lumber, most likely from repairs from harsh weather. Few people were outside, giving the pair weird looks. Ronan spotted a bar close by.

"_Maybe someone there can help me out_," he thought to himself. He knelt down so Aki could jump off his back. When they entered into the bar, some sketchy looking people in a booth were sharpening their swords, while others were using bending for their beverages to either warm them or cool them. "Stay close to me," Ronan whispered to Aki as he put his arm around her. She just simply nodded.

As they walked up to the counter, the man behind the it asked, "What'll have? The special today is meat stew." Ronan looked up at the board. It was worth five pieces of copper. He looked into his pack. He has a total of seven. He agreed to the special and had it be split to two bowls. The barkeep yelled into the back for it.

The two sat down at the counter. Ronan leaned towards Aki. "Are you okay?" She didn't react. He scratched his head. "Do you trust me?" She looked down and shrugged her shoulders. He slightly grimaced and looked the other way. The barkeep came back and put the bowls in front of them. Ronan thanked the man as he stepped away. The stew didn't look too bad. It was surely edible. He began to eat, but Aki just stared at it, zoned out. "Do you have any family close by, or anywhere around the world?" Aki snapped out of her daze and turned her head slightly towards Ronan and shook her head. A tear ran down her cheek. She opened her mouth to talk, but couldn't find the strength.

"It's alright," he said, "we can talk later if need be. Eat up for now. This stuff is actually quite delicious." She grasped her spoon, and began nibbling at her food. Soon, she was taking spoonfuls. "Hey barkeep." The man turned to Ronan and raised his head to say he's listening. "Are they any boats or ferries nearby that goes to Earth Kingdom?"

"Yeah, there is. There's a port just North of here. Maybe an hour away by foot."

"Thanks." Ronan leaned to Aki again. "If you don't have anywhere to go, you can come to Republic City with me." She continued eating at a slow pace. He laughed at himself quietly. "_I hope she comes around_," he thought to himself. After another spoonful of stew, Ronan stepped onto the floor. He felt something a mile away from the town, heading this way. He couldn't quite place what it was, but he had an idea what it was. His fear was realized when someone ran into the bar.

"The Non-Bender Army is heading this way!" The person ran out.

Aki stopped eating and panickedly looked to Ronan. He sighed, and looked to her right in the eyes. "I'm going to go out and see what's going on. I want you to hide here, right in that corner over here, okay?" She began trembling, tears running down her face. "Listen, I **will** be back for you, okay? I promise you. Now, please, hide." She nodded and sat in the corner, curled up into a ball. Ronan ran fast outside. He could see the smoke coming from the engines, snow kicked up in the sky. He ran towards them, face covered with a scarf.

As he approached, a dozen men took a knee and aimed their guns at him. "Hold your fire!" a voice yelled from behind the men. The man walked through the ranks of the men, revealing himself to be the officer that razed and Aki's village, and the one who called the order to kill her. "Tell me," he said in a raspy voice, "Are you a bender or are their benders in that town you seem to protecting?"

"What does that matter?" Ronan asked in deep voice in hopes that they don't realize who he is.

"Everything!" The man yelled. "All benders deserve to die! Even their precious Avatar! They are the reason why the world has so much conflict!"

"And you aren't causing conflict?"

"We are resolving all future conflicts!"

"By murdering innocent women and children?!" Ronan yelled, infuriated by just thinking those words.

The ground began to tremble at Ronan's anger. The air thickened. The officer went wide eyes, realizing that the Avatar stands before him. "Kill him!"

Ronan could feel the men pulling the triggers with his feet. He could brought up a thick wall of ice that stopped every bullet in its path. He then kicked in and crushed every man in the way. The two tanks the brigade had shot their munitions. Ronan jumped high up into the sky, narrowly avoiding the explosion. He flipped and landed between the two tanks. The outer shell was covered in platinum, having the tanks being unbendable. In response, Ronan kicked hard into the ground creating spires of earth, launching them into the sky. Five men armed with long swords charged. Ronan quickly grabbed his swords and ignited them in flames. He blocked the onslaught of attacks. When the opening came, he countered. He kicked one foe's leg causing him to fall forward into Ronan's flaming scimitar. It went to his chest. He blocked another attack as he pulled his sword out of the man's chest. As soon as it was freed, he slashed and got his attacker across the face. At that time, the tanks came crashing back down, crushing another enemy. The men inside the tanks were in complete disarray from the crash. The last two men still stood their ground. They charged but were met with a wall of flames that came out of the scimitars. They fell down, wounded. The officer was overwhelmed with fear from the result of the attack. In just a mere minute, the Avatar decimated his small brigade of soldiers. He scrambled to one of the transport vehicles and floored it. Ronan acted quickly bended a large mass of air around the vehicle and sent it back towards him. It crashed on its side and rolled over multiple times. The officer slowly crawled out of the wreckage. Ronan stomped over to him and kicked him onto his back.

"Please! Spare me!" the man cried out, pleading for his life.

"**No!**" Ronan's voice boomed out, "_**Your sins are too heavy.**_" He kicked him ground, launching the officer into the sky in the same fashion as the tanks. The blow smashed the man's back, taking the air out of his lungs. He began falling down, but before he made it back to the ground, he was met with Ronan's scimitar. It pierced the officer in the gut. He lost all feeling and Ronan lowered his weapon and the officer slid off onto the ground. The officer laid dead.

Ronan turned towards the remaining members of the Non-Bender Army. "**Go now, or you will suffer the same fate.**" They did not waste their time. They quickly piled into the only working vehicle and floored it. When they disappeared from the horizon, Ronan began walking back to the town.

The citizens of Shuǐ were left speechless. Before he turned towards the bar to see Aki, he saw that she was already outside. She witnessed the whole fight. She was trembling. Ronan knelt down to her eye level. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"...Were those the people who attacked my home?" she asked, finally breaking her silence.

"Yes. Yes they were." he said. "I kinda lost it there."

"...My family... They all died fighting those people. My father, by brother, my uncle... My mother was all I had left, but they still took her from me..." she said in a low manner. "I'm not sorry for what happened to those people." She tired holding back her tears. "I just wish the fighting would stop. I have nobody left!"

Ronan held Aki close and hugged her. "Hey now.. Listen, I know this may sound corny, but you are not alone. I'll be your family now. These people also took my family away and I was too young to even know my parents or the struggle the earth was going through. I'm kicking myself for staying in the Spirit World for so long, but I made sure I was ready to come out to help heal this world. I am truly sorry for what has happened, but I will say it again: you are not alone." He looked her in the eyes, and through the tears, he saw a glimpse of happiness. "It's time for us to continue _our_ journey, okay."

She sniffed away her tears and rubbed her eyes. "Okay... You're not alone either now, right?"

That statement made a lump in Ronan's throat. "Yeah, that's right. From now on, we are each others guardian."

Ronan stood back up and took her hand. She slung his pack around her back.

Someone walked up to them. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say thank you. Those of us here aren't prepared for any sort of encounter."

"Is the world that messed up?" Ronan asked.

"Recently, not really. The war has been calm for at least the past couple of years. We assumed that we were safe here in the south, but obviously we were wrong."

"Hopefully that group of men don't recoup and try to stage another attack, but without their vehicles over there, you should be good. Actually, those two over there should still be functionable. I suggest that this town salvage them."

"We will."

Ronan turned to Aki. "Ready to go?" She nodded.

The townspeople said their thanks as the two walked to their next destination.


	3. Dangerous Roads

_**Chapter Three: Dangerous Roads**_

The sun rose up over the horizon as the boat Ronan and Aki were on reached Earth Kingdom shores. Aki was struggling to keep her eyes open. It has been a long and tough night for her. Ronan saw that the port had an inn but he only had two copper pieces left; not enough for a one night stay. They traveled for nearly a minute away from the port until Ronan found a good spot to camp. He bended out two thick plates of earth to construct a big tent. He then proceeded to close off the far end with another slab of earth.

"There we go. A fine place to crash for the night." Ronan said with a grin to Aki, who wasted no time entering the structure and laid down on one side. He then entered inside. He pulled out a small blanket from his pack and covered Aki. Before he himself lied down, he partially closed the entrance, just enough in case Aki needed to go out. The night was brisk since they were still far down south. It got to the point that anyone could see their breath when they exhale. Ronan increase his chi energy to release plenty of heat to keep the tent warm. His mind wandered off as he closed his eyes thinking about what the future holds...

* * *

><p>It was still early in the morning when Ronan woke up. He felt a disturbance through the ground. It was Aki. She was tossing and turning, and her heart rate was higher than normal. She was having a nightmare. He gently nudged her, calling her name. She woke up with a shock and stared at Ronan, trembling.<p>

"Are you okay?" he asked. She didn't answer. "It'll be alright. Just stay here and rest. I'll fetch us some food."

Aki clutched the blanket and wrapped it around herself, sitting in the back. She didn't stir. For nearly thirty minutes while Ronan was gone, she sat stunned, with the visions of her nightmare, haunting her. As Ronan entered back in the tent, she snapped out of her fright.

"Got ourselves some fresh apples, and I helped out the inn keeper for some bread." he said, handing her some of it. She gladly accepted it and wasted no time digging into it. Ronan contemplated on whether or not he she ask her about her nightmare, but he had a pretty good idea what it was about. Better not keep picking at the wound. "There's a caravan service that usually makes its round from here to Republic City. Goes right up along the coast."

After they finished eating their breakfast, the sun began to rise above the horizon. They packed up what they had, and then Ronan dismantled the earth tent back into the ground. As they walked back towards the inn, the caravan could be seen coming down the road. It was a metal wagon that was pulled by a motor on wheels. The driver sat in front of the wagon with the steering wheel while the contents of the load are stowed away inside the safety of the metal structure. As it approached, they could see the driver was a girl about Ronan's age, dressed in worn ragged clothing with leather armor covering her forearms, shins, and chest. When she parked the caravan and jumped down, Ronan approached her.

"This caravan goes to Republic City, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. You need something delivered?" she asked.

"Yes, actually. I was hoping you could provide transport for the both of us."

She looked at him with an annoyed look. "I don't give lifts to strangers."

"I promise we won't be a bother. We can help you while we are with you."

She looked up in the sky and sighed. "How much money do you have on you?"

"Erm... Two copper pieces." She started to ignore him. "Oh, give me a break. I've been away for nearly two decades years."

"Fine, how about this. Can you bend, and are you damn good at it?"

"Of course," he said with pride. "I'm the Avatar."

She laughed. "Yeah. Right."

"Yeah. Right." he said mockingly. He kicked up a slab or earth and launched it into the woods, sent a large mass of air into an apple tree, formed a stream of water from the nearby well, froze it, and speared the ground, then breathed an inferno out of his mouth and nose into the sky. Needless to say, she was impressed, due to the shocked look on her face. She was at a loss for words. "So, how about now?"

"...Oh my gosh." she said lightly. "Everyone thought you were dead or captured."

"Well, yeah. It was close to that."

"Where have you been?"

"The spirit world. And I get the feeling I may have many more people ask that. I figure that if I can at least talk to the leaders that everything can be cleared up."

"Right, right. Yeah, I can give you two a lift. Is she your sister?"

"Oh, no. I'm her guardian."

"So, where are her pare-" Ronan quickly gestured for her to not finish that question, but Aki already looked away to the ground. "Oh... Well, I can surely get you guys there. It'll be about two days with a few stops along the way."

"Sounds good. We'll wait for you here."

"Alright, My name's Jade by the way."

"Ronan," he said, shaking her hand, "And that's Aki." Jade knelt down to shake Aki's hand, but she just stepped behind Ronan. "It's alright." He said with a smile. Jade nodded her head then went to the back of the caravan to make her delivery. "There, we now have a lift."

"What's going to happen when we get there?" Aki asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. The two people, or spirits I should say, said that I should meet the president of Republic City. From there, we'll have an idea."

After a few minutes, Jade dropped off her shipment, and situated the caravan for travel. All three of them climbed up to the top, then they were on their way.

"So," Ronan said, "Why'd you ask if I was a good bender?"

"Recently, the Nonbender army has been at it again with attacks. And along with that, bandits are starting to attack as well."

"Lovely," he said sarcastically, "Have they attacked you yet?"

"Once, but I managed to lose them. Other caravans and travelers told me about it."

Aki started to stare at Ronan with a look of worry. "It'll be okay. I'm sure we'll be fine."

* * *

><p>The Next Day...<p>

The final drop off was made. It was time to go straight back to Republic City.

"So, I forgot to ask," Ronan said, "You do this for a living?"

"Yeah. My father was injured fighting it the war, so I do this to keep us on our feet."

"That's very noble. I'm sure he's very proud of you."

"Yeah.." she said, wandering off. Ronan thought nothing of it.

"So, how much longer from here?"

"At this rate, probably night time or early morning."

Ronan looked towards Aki who looked panicked. "What's wrong Aki?" She pointed behind him. He turned back and saw three vehicles, all equipped with large all-terrain tires, speeding through with woods coming towards the caravan. Jade now noticed too.

"Damn it! Bandits!" She punched the accelerator causing the caravan to lurch forward picking up speed. "I'm glad I finished with my loads. We could never lose them with a feel load." The vehicles surrounded the sides of rear of the caravan.

A voice came out through a speaker on one of the vehicles. "Stop the caravan, and we'll let you live!"

Jade yelled back. "There's nothing in it! My trip is done!"

The voice boomed back. "Well then, that's too bad." The vehicle proceeded to ram to caravan on the side. It began to drift, but Jade managed to regain control.

"Aki, hold on tight now, you hear?" Ronan yelled. She held onto the side rail tight.

Ronan stood up, trying to hold his balance as he tried to bend the earth. He bended a thick slab of earth from the ground in front of the one vehicle. It turned had to avoid to avoid the rock wall. Its front side tire hit, and flipped it into the air, causing it to land upside down, but its giant tires kept it going. The cab of the vehicle flipped right side up. Ronan sighed in disbelief. One of the other vehicles rammed into the other side of the caravan. There was a boulder on the hillside along the road. Ronan grabbed a hold of it through bending, swung it around gaining velocity, and launched it into the cab of the vehicle. It only left a dent.

"What are you doing?" Jade yelled. "Aren't you the Avatar?"

"It's kind of hard to fight back on a moving vehicle! I can't really grasp hold of the earth!"

Jade began shooting small bursts of fire from her fists, attempting to take down of the bandits. Her attempts are futile.

"Hey, are their cabs made of metal, not platinum?" Ronan asked.

Jade looked more closely at them. "Yeah, why?"

"I have an idea then." Ronan took a deep breath, held it in, then exhaled. "Aki, I'll be back, alright?" She nodded, worried.

Ronan jumped off the caravan, and landed of the cab of the bandit vehicle leading the rear. In response, the driver flipped the cab. Ronan kicked off hard in front of the vehicle. As the cab went right side up, Ronan landed on it again. He quickly jabbed his hands into the metal cab and ripped his way in. He grabbed the bandit by the collar of his shirt and threw him out, pounding into the rough terrain, rolling until he came to a stop. Ronan hopped into the hood. He floored it and got in front of the vehicle blocking the left side of the caravan. He tore out a chunk of metal, and quickly bended it into a dozen sharp tacks. Through the hole of the cab, and threw them in front of the other bandit, blowing out the tires, causing it to lose control and spin out, breaking the vehicle into many pieces. One more to go. But before he made his move, a monotone voice came though the speaker inside the cab. It was announcing a remote self destruct.

"Shit, these guys are serious!" he screamed. He quickly jumped out high of the vehicle before it erupted into the flames. The force of the explosion made the caravan lose control.

"We're gonna crash!" Jade yelled.

Ronan landed back on the caravan and grabbed hold of Aki. Then the caravan went sideways and hit a boulder, flipping the caravan. Ronan jumped off with Aki in his arms and landed hard on his back, shielding her from the ground. Jade jumped off gracefully, landed on her feet, and slid to a stop. The caravan on the other hand flipped onto the last bandit vehicle. The collision was brutal as both vehicles erupted into flames. Ronan slowly got back onto his feet.

"A-Are you okay?!" Aki asked.

"Yeah," he grunted, "Trust me, I had worse in the Spirit World. Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you."

Jade dropped down to her knees. "That was life right there." she said blankly.

Ronan and Aki walked up to her. "I'm sorry about what happened." Ronan said. "Do you at least have the money you made from the deliveries?"

She looked down to her side at her pouch. "Yeah, thankfully. But it's not enough for another caravan and the bills back home..."

"I promise I'll help you out somehow once we get back to Republic City. You have my word."

"Yeah, yeah.."

"So then, um, how long will it take to get there now?

She looked down, thinking. "Tomorrow night, if we're lucky."

"Want to get going now, or do you want to wait?"

"No, there's nothing to stay for. I'd rather just get back home." She began running down the road.

"Hop on up Aki," Ronan said, "We're going to be going fast."

Aki hopped onto Ronan's back, and then off they went running to Republic City.


	4. Refugees

_**Chapter Four: Refugees**_

Ronan and Jade slowed down from a run to a walk. Ronan was fine, but Jade was exhausted. They ran a total of ten miles from the wreckage of the bandit attack. They have not spoken a single word since. Both Ronan and Aki could tell she was frustrated at the loss of her caravan. Ronan was curious as to how much farther they needed to travel to reach Republic City, but he figures that it's better to not talk to her until she cools down.

"I can walk now." Aki said, breaking the silence. Ronan nodded and knelt down to let her jump down. They walked beside each other while Jade led the way. Ronan reached into his pack and pulled out two apples. He handed one of Aki who happily accepted it.

The sun beat down, sunlight shining through the trees. It surely beat the cold brisk air from the south. The peacefulness of the atmosphere made it seem impossible to think that the world is practically fighting each other over power. It just seemed trivial to him.

After a few more minutes of walking, Ronan sensed something through the ground. "Stop." He said.

Jade stopped and turned around. "What?"

"We're not alone."

Aki looked at him panickly. He could sense that there were six people hiding on both sides of the road. But, they seemed too small to be attackers. The attackers jumped out of their hiding spots and surrounded the trio. It was revealed to them that they were just kids. No older than fourteen.

"Give us all your stuff," the one kid said, wielding a rusty iron sword, "Now!"

Ronan covered Aki. "I think it would be wise if you were the ones to back down." he said calmly.

The kids didn't care to moved forward to attack. Before they managed to get three steps, Ronan formed a vortex of air, and sent the kids flying backwards. They immediately got back on their feet and lunged forward again. Ronan proceeded to do the same thing again to them. They still got back up to attack. Ronan now quickly formed a giant earth cubicle around themselves, keeping the kids stuck on the outside.

Before Ronan could say anything, he heard the kids whispering back to each other on the other side.

"Wait... Did that guy just air bend _and _earth bend?"

"I think so, yeah"

"Me too."

"Could he be the Avatar that our parents told us about?"

"No way... Could he?"

"I think so!"

"Maybe he can help us?"

Ronan and Jade looked at each other. He smirked.

"We just attacked him! There's no way he'd help us now..."

"Maybe he'll understand."

Ronan bended the earth wall back down. "So, I heard you guys need some help. But with what exactly?"

"It's our camp," the eldest of the kids said, "We have sick and injured."

"Not only that," another kid jumped in, "Bandits have been out in force."

Ronan and Jade looked back at each other again. She shrugged.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check it out, and to see if this isn't some sort of trap." Ronan said, looking at the kids with a sly smile.

"It's not a trap! We promise! We need help!"

"Alright, alright. Which way is it?"

The kids led the way through a dense forest path about half a mile. They entered an open area surrounded by the forest. The open area was full of canvas tents and small earth buildings. Rough looking people roam around, helping each other out with their troubles. One of the younger kids tugged Ronan towards one of the earth structures. Inside were a few people who seemed to be better off than the others outside.

"Who is this?" the elderly man asked.

"This is the Avatar!" the child said with energy.

"Ha, that's preposterous!" the man laughed.

Ronan sighed and dropped his head. He looked back up. On one hand, he held a flame, the other, he had a rock spinning in circles. The man damn near had a heart attack.

"It really is you," one of the other gentlemen said.

"These kids asked if I could help out. Here I am."

"Hmm," the elderly man said, "What can you do? Not to sound rude, but you have been on a hiatus for two decades."

"I can fight, I have some healing experience with water bending, and so on," Ronan listed, sounding modest.

"Alright then, follow me, if you will," the last man said.

Everyone walked out except the other two men. They followed the man, who introduced himself as Ruko, towards a long earth structure.

"This building up ahead is where we keep our sick and injured. Hopefully you can help," the Ruko stated.

"So, has the world always been this messed up since I've been gone?" Ronan asked.

"Not until about six months ago. Things were quiet, then the Non-Bender Army started to increase their attacks again." Ronan glanced towards Aki with a grimace. The Ruko continued. "Everyone here came from a few villages in the surrounding area. The army attacked us, then the bandits pretty much finished off what we had left. We recently got attacked by them, but we managed to fight them back." As he finished that statement, they entered the building.

There was well over a couple dozen of people lying in their own sections on slabs of earth. A few people were using the healing ability of water to tend to the sick. One of them waved towards the Ruko to come over. Every followed over. They walked up to each other.

"I don't think he's going to make it," the healer whispered. The Ruko grimaced.

"What's wrong?" Ronan asked.

"In the last attack, he got shot in the gut. The bullet is still in him, and we can't reach it."

Ronan looked towards the man who was in obvious pain. He walked up to him, and placed his hand on his stomach. He focused, looking, feeling for the bullet.

"I sense where it is at, but it is deep." He heard them sigh in grief. "But, I think I can get it."

Both men ran over. "What?"

"I seriously think I can get it out, but it's not going to be pretty."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I have to carefully pull it out, and that it is going to hurt."

"Do you need us to do anything?"

"Yes, restrain him." He turned to Jade. "Please take Aki outside, will you?" She nodded, and took Aki by the hand and walked outside. Ronan grabbed a rag and held it to the patient's mouth. "Here, bite on this." The man complied, and bit hard on it from the pain alone.

The other people in the room held the man's limbs down onto the slab as Ronan prepped. He pulled out his flask of spirit water, and bended a small amount out. He breathed deeply, then exhaled. He placed the water onto the man wound, and worked it in. The man was already wincing in pain. The water worked its way down through the bullet's path. Ronan placed the water around the bullet.

"Alright, I have it. Sir... This is going to hurt, okay?" The man nodded as he closed his eyes, waiting.

Ronan's free hand found the metal bullet in the man's gut, and grabbed a hold of it. Slowly, he pulled both the spirit water and bullet back through the projectile path. The man spasmed harshly. Everyone used their full weight to restrain him. Little by little, Ronan pulled the bullet surrounded by the water. After an antagonizing minute, the bullet exited the man's body. By this point, the man passed out from the pain.

"There," Ronan exhaled, "It's out."

"What was the water for?" Ruko asked.

"It was to help make the retrieval of the bullet less painful. Plus, as I worked it out, I managed to heal most of the wound. So, after he wakes up, he should be feeling a helluva lot better."

"That's impressive. Can you help us heal the others?"

"Yeah, in a second." Ronan walked outside to see Jade standing just outside the door while Aki played with the other children.

"What the hell did you do in there?" Jade asked. "It sounded as if you killed the guy."

"Heh. I did get it out though. He honestly should make a full recovery." He put his hands in his pockets and breathed heavily. "I've only been back here for less than a week, and it seems like this world is a wreck."

"You kinda get used to it after awhile. Although it's starting to get worrisome again if the enemies are back out attacking."

"Well, hopefully once we get to Republic City we can get something in motion to put an end to it."

"Yeah, I hope so too."

"I'm going to be in there for awhile helping out. You okay out here?"

She shrugged. "I got nothing else better to do."

"I'd like to get back on the road after I help get these people back on their feet."

She nodded as he headed back in. Aki noticed him go back inside. She broke off from the group of kids and slowly walked in. She saw Ronan standing over a sick man, moving his arms back and forth in a smooth motion, water absorbing into the man's body. The water began to give off a faint glow. She walked up to him.

"Is this the healing ability of water?" she asked.

"Yeah. Same as when I healed your black eye a few days ago. You never saw this ability before?"

She shook her head. "No, not that I can remember. I guess we just never needed it really."

Aki continued to watch Ronan heal the people. Little by little, everyone was regaining their strength. She was amazed that she never knew that such an ability existed. She only knew that people could control it.

"I think I've done just about as much as I can." he said wiping the sweat from his forehead. "You all should be up on feet hopefully tomorrow morning."

"Ronan," Aki said, "Can you teach me how to heal?"

"Yeah, of course. Should've asked me earlier while I was doing it. But at least you see what the process is I guess."

Suddenly, there was a yell outside. "Bandits!"

"Shit. Aki, stay in here and watch over these people okay?"

She nodded her head while Ronan ran out. There were three of those land vehicles he encountered earlier circling the encampment. Bandits were walking out of the forest, weapons drawn. There had to be at least twenty of them. Jade was no where to be found.

"Alright you scum," the one bandit yelled out, "Drop your weapons, hands behind your heads, and group up in the center!"

Ronan knew he couldn't fight them now without the refugees taking casualties. He complied. He went over to the forming group of refugees in the center. In the corner of his eyes he saw Jade at the tree line grab a bandit, and dragged him in the forest. She wasn't going to give in. And she definitely wasn't going to run. Either she wants payback for her caravan, or she just wants to help. Either way was fine. By the time he got on his knees, Jade nabbed another bandit standing at the tree line, unnoticed by the other bandits. Two were already down, increasing the odds. Before she could grab another, they walked more towards the center.

Ronan leaned towards Ruko and whispered, "How many experienced benders or fighters do you have that is able to fight?"

"Not many. Most are in the medical building."

"Jade is out there, ready to fight. She already silenced two of their men. We can't just submit to these assholes."

"Well, whatever course of action you take, I'll follow."

"Okay then. On my mark, attack. Spread the word, and don't be conspicuous."

Slowly, the word got around without the bandits taking notice. There were too preoccupied with the refugees personal belongings.

"On my mark..."

Before Ronan could say to start to attack, the refugees from the medical building came running out, mid attack, catching all the bandits off guard.

"Attack!"

The refugees and bandits began to entangle. A fraction of the bandits were already off their feet before they could make a move. Ronan formed a spire of earth under one of the vehicles, launching it high into the sky, far away from the encampment. Another refugee who could earthbend followed suit, and launched the second one away. A bandit came to slash Ronan from behind. He quickly turned and bent back and missed the attack. He grabbed the man's arm, and fought for the weapon. Ronan headbutted the bandit onto the ground, then proceeded to curb stomp his head into the ground.

The last vehicle turned and face Ronan, going full speed. Ronan turned to it too, standing his ground. He began to focus, and to him, it seemed as if time had slowed down. He extended his arms outward, hands together. As the vehicle neared, Ronan split his hands from each other. The whole metal frame of the vehicle split into two. As both halves of the vehicle went past Ronan, the bandit operating it was flying at Ronan. Ronan wound up his fist, and as the man neared, he punched the guy straight in the face. He went spinning far back into the forest.

Ronan exhaled as he began to feel the pain in his fist. "Jeez, that hurts. Maybe I'll pull my punch next time. Shit!"

He looked around himself. All the bandits seemed to be either injured, or dead, with no casualties for the refugees. Just as the celebrated, there was a scream. It was Aki!

Ronan turned turned towards the scream. A bandit had Aki with a knife against her throat.

"Stay back!" he yelled, backing up towards the forest. "Stay back, or I'll kill her!"

"You are making a huge mistake here pal," Ronan said morbidly, "Just let her go, and I'll allow you to leave. There is no more struggle here."

The man stayed silent. When Ronan took a small step forward, the man yelled. "Stop! I'll fucking kill her! I swear!"

Quickly and unheard, Jade came from behind. She hit the man's arm wielding the knife away from Aki, and pushed him away. As he stumbled, Ronan shot forward, and grabbed the man by the neck. He kicked his legs out from under him, and choke slammed him onto the ground. Ronan couldn't even speak because he was so mad. He took his free fist, and plowed it into the man's temple, either knocking him out cold, or killing him.

Ronan let out a breath, and look up to the sky as he stood back up. He turned back to Aki, who was shaken up. He walked up to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"...Y-Yes. I told the people that bandits were outside, and had everyone piled up. T-They all got up, and they agreed that now they are better, they need to go out and fight. Before I knew it, a man got hit inside a grabbed me."

"I'm just glad you are safe." He looked her in the eyes. "Okay?"

She nodded. Ronan stood back up, and put his hand on Jade's shoulder. He nodded to her. Even though he didn't say anything, she knew that he was extremely grateful that she stepped in. She nodded back.

Ruko walked up to them. "I'm glad you were here. You've helped out tremendously."

"Well, you know," Ronan said, "I would hope that there are others who would do the same thing if there were in our shoes."

"Is there anything that we can do for you?"

"Yeah. We should probably stay here for the night, rest up, maybe get a meal, then leave in the morning."

"Absolutely." he said with a smile, shaking Ronan's hands.

And that night, they got to rest up, and eat. They converse with everyone, get to know each other. All the refugees that were injured or ill thanked Ronan for the healing.

In the early hours of the morning, the trio set off again to Republic City.


	5. Welcome to Republic City

_**Chapter Five: Welcome To Republic City**_

The sun was now overhead as the trio neared the city limits. They've been walking for nearly twelve hours at this point. Fatigue was apparent in both Aki and Jade, but Ronan was perfectly fine.

"Aki," Ronan said, breaking an hour long silence, "Are you alright?"

Her eyes were half open, and her breathing was beginning to become slightly labored. "...Yes, I'm alright."

Ronan knew she was lying, but he'd let her go for now.

"Finally," Jade breathed, "We're almost there."

Just over the hill the sights of the tall buildings could be seen. Ronan and Aki were in awe. It was the first time either of them have seen a sight such as a city landscape. The city was absolutely massive. It extended miles outward to where it seemed it never ended. In the center, a streak of light extended into the sky.

"What's that light?" Aki asked.

"That would be a spirit world portal." Ronan answered.

"The city build a memorial around it to commemorate the battle within the city eighty years ago," Jade stated, "Access to it is restricted. It's made that only spirits may pass through."

Aki began to stumble.

"Here," Ronan said, extending his arm to Aki, "I'll give you a lift there."

She slowly turned her head to him and nodded. He pulled her up onto his back. She felt very warm.

As they traveled closer to the city, the bigger the buildings seemed to get. Lights outlined the buildings, giving them a sense of beauty to them. It must look glorious at night time. When they finally entered into the city, the amount of citizens increased heavily. They stayed close to one another as to not get separated.

"The best place to go is the Presidential Building. Everything should be situated once you are there." Jade said.

"What're you going to do once we get there?" Ronan asked.

"I'll probably go home, I guess."

"Just remember, I said I'd help you once we got here so don't run off just yet, alright?"

They traversed through the dense crowd of people for nearly an hour. The city life was new to both Ronan and Aki. Both lived far off from mass civilization. Technology, vehicles, airships; they were everywhere.

"Jeez, just take a look around ya." Ronan said, looking up the skyscrapers.

Aki was completely drained at this point. She couldn't even say anything back.

"There it is," Jade announced.

Ahead of them was the tallest and most elegant looking building in the city. It houses the President and his team of government staff to keep the city moving forward. They entered into a spacious room. Few people walked around, doing business, while a lone woman sat behind a desk filing paperwork.

"We need to see President Rinn." Jade said to the woman.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked, keeping her focus on her work.

"No, but-"

"Then no. Can I schedule you one?"

"I guess."

"The latest I can get you is next month."

"Next month?!"

"Mmhmm."

They just about lost their minds.

"We really can't wait that long."

"Well that's too bad. Next month is the only thing I can do for you."

"Even for the Avatar?"

Not even that phased her. "Miss, the Avatar has been gone for nearly two decades. I really doubt either of you are the Avatar."

Ronan shrugged at himself, slightly annoyed. He quickly showcased his ability to bend the four elements. They now had the woman's attention now. Her mouth was gaped wide open.

"How about now?" Jade said, grinning.

"I-I-I um.." she paused. Then she stood up. "Please follow me."

They all piled into an elevator. It was silent the whole way up to the top floor. When they exited, the woman asked them to remain where they are as she went to President.

"Y'know, I wonder how many more times I have to prove that I'm the Avatar," Ronan said aloud.

"I'd bank on one more time."

They was a stir down the hall, amongst some yelling. Out from around the corner, President Rinn and the woman appeared.

"Are you really, the long lost Avatar?" He asked anxiously.

"The one and only," Ronan said with a grin, with fire in one hand, and with water floating over the other.

"Two decades... And here you are. Come, there is much we need to discuss!" The secretary left to go back to her desk while everyone else went into the President's office. It was a luxurious room. Rinn sat behind his desk while the three grabbed their own chairs.

It was silent for nearly a minute before Rinn looked up towards Ronan.

"It's been nearly two decades since you've disappeared. Where have you been?" He pulled a type writer from the side of his desk to him, ready to type.

"From as far back as I can remember, I've been in the spirit world." Rinn began typing hurriedly. "But what can you tell about me? I really don't even know of my origins."

Rinn stood up, and went over to his file cabinet. He pulled out the top drawer, and began shuffling through until he pulled out a file. He went back to his desk, and began sorting out the files inside.

"You were the only son to Lee and Mia Takara. They are of the Earth Kingdom, but moved down to the south pole to a small village. Twenty years ago, you were born during the devastating solar flare. And as the result of Avatar Korra's death, you were destined to be the next Avatar. As the word was spread, the Non-Bending Alliance took the initiative to either capture or kill you. Before we could do anything, your village was razed, and you and your parents were no where to be found. We could only fear the worst. But then news broke out that the Non-Benders in fact did not get you. So there was hope, but it died down slowly when you did not show up, and the next Avatar could not be found."

Ronan let that sink in a little before he spoke. "Heh... Then why did I end up in the Spirit World?"

"Perhaps your parents were either going to take refuge there, or try to navigate to the portal that leads here in the city. Except that only you took refuge there. So your parents... must of not made it." Ronan was silent, thinking about it in his head. "Can you please continue answering some questions?"

"..Yeah, sure, go on."

"Can you explain your time in the Spirit World? What did you do for eighteen years?"

"Well, from the beginning, I was in the care from two people, well, they are spirits now, but-"

"Really?" Rinn said, surprised.

"Yeah. The one man, he is a master firebender, and is a very wise man. His name is Iroh. And the other person you may know. She was the very first chief of police here in this city."

"Toph Beifong?"

"Yeah. She was relentless when she was training me."

"How is it possible, to become a spirit?"

"Well, everyone becomes a spirit after death, but they were so spiritually aware that they were able to roam freely. But to continue on, they trained me in mind, strength, and mastery in the elements. Well, I'm still not the best at waterbending, but I did pick up how to do some basic healing."

"For eighteen years?" Rinn continued typing.

"Yeah, and also during the course of those years, I met every past Avatar, and gained a connection to them so I can talk to them whenever I go to the Spirit World. They all had their own tricks and techniques they taught me. That's how I at least learned some airbending and waterbending."

"What about living arrangements? Where did you sleep?"

"Avatar Korra actually had a vacation home in the Spirit World. I mainly rested there among other things for the past fifteen years. Before then, Iroh had made a small shelter."

"This is absolutely astounding. Incredible."

Even Aki and Jade were intrigued by this information.

"Then, what was your first objective once you left? Was it to come here?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you start from?"

"The South Pole."

"Why's that? You could have came through the portal here in Republic City."

"It crossed my mind, but I wanted to see if my home village happened to still be around. But of course it wasn't. I stuck around there for awhile, then..." Ronan turned his head towards Aki. He didn't want to bring up what happened with her in her presence. But she wasn't looking too good. He leaned towards Rinn, speaking softly, "That was when I witnessed the aftermath of the Nonbenders razing Aki's village. That was when she lost the last of her family; her mother. Since then, I took her under my care, working our way here. That's when we met Jade. She gave us a ride in here caravan. But on the home stretch, we were attacked by bandits. The caravan was trashed so we began on foot. Speaking of that, is it too much trouble to have that replaced?"

"None at all. She helped you get here, so she can get a new one free of charge."

"Wow!"Jade exclaimed, "Thank you very much!"

"No problem. Ronan, if you please."

"Yeah, so along the way, refugee kids jumped us, but to no avail on their end. We went to their encampment, and helped them. Even there we were ambushed by bandits. We repelled them then left the following morning here."

"Damn... I knew attacks began to increase again, but to that extreme... Well, it's obvious you have had an tireless journey here. We'll continue this tomorrow. Do you at all by chance have a place to stay?"

"Nope. Not at all."

"Wonderful. Years ago, we built a private hall here for the Avatar. It was Avatar Korra's idea to have it built for quote unquote Team Avatar. If you will, please follow me."

Everyone sat up besides Aki. She was completely zoned out.

"Aki," Ronan said, "Are you okay?" She finally shook her head, slowly. Ronan held his hand out to her, and lifted her to her feet.

As they walked out of the office, Aki stumbled, and began to fall. Ronan was quick to catch her. She was out cold.

"Damn, she's burning up."

"Will she be okay?" Jade asked.

"Yeah, I'll take care of her once we settle down."

"Good. Well, I hate to go, but I need to get home."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I hope the new caravan treats you well."

"If you ever need me, contact me."

"Will do."

They went their separate ways as Jade went home while Rinn showed Ronan where the private hall is. They entered through a security door that lead to the private hall. They continued down to the end of the hall. Rinn opened the door to reveal a luxurious living room. It has all the accommodations such as a kitchen and bathroom. Three rooms that branched off were bedrooms for members of the team.

"Here is the room. You will find it is quite peaceful. The room was kept in fine condition regardless of your being gone. Gotta make sure everyone has a job to do, you know. I send someone up to stock the kitchen and bring herbs and tea for the girl."

Ronan thanked Rinn as he entered inside. He laid Aki down on the couch, and covered her up with the decorative blanket. He put his hand of her forehead. She had a strong fever. He went to the sink, and got water out of the faucet. He coated the water over his hand, and it began to glow. He placed it over hear forehead to soothe her fever. After a few moments, she woke up, drowsy.

"...Am I a bother?" she asked weakly.

"No, of course not."

"Yes, I am. I couldn't even help when we were attacked. I couldn't protect my mother or my home." She tried her best to hold back her tears. "I'm even sick now. I'm useless!"

Ronan placed his hand on her shoulder. "Listen, okay? You are only a child. No one can expect you to do everything, and nobody should. And there is a good reason why you are sick. You have been through a lot the past week, more than one should go through. The shock from that, and the fact that we are now in a much warmer place than what you are used to. Your body will adapt."

"...I want to become stronger. I want to be able to fight. I don't want to be weak anymore..." She went silent. "I don't want to be alone..."

Ronan knelt down next to her. "I will make sure that you won't be. And I promise that once you get better, we will train together. So for now, rest, and I'll make you some of the best tea. Iroh really knew how to brew."

Aki closed her eyes, a tear ran down her cheek. "Thank you.."


	6. The Need To Train

_**Chapter Six: The Need To Train**_

Aki awoke up from her feverous nap to talking from outside of the room. Ronan and Rinn were outside, discussing something. She groggily got up, her head pounding. She peeked out the door, and saw the two down at the end of the hall. She hid behind the corner to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I never mentioned this when we first spoke to each other," Rinn said, "There were rumors from the battlefields that a man that was fighting for the Non-Benders could bend more than one element."

Ronan was puzzled. "Then did you think it was me?"

"At first, yes. We were shocked once I was informed of this, but the man's description was that he was at least twenty years older than you are. But then again, it was a rumor. Most soldiers that returned home wounded were most incoherent."

"Then what was your initial reaction when I arrived here?"

"I was shocked of course. The rumor did slip my mind, so the possible danger was not in my mind. I thought some kid was bluffing."

"Well, let's presume that there is a guy who can manage to bend more than one element fighting to the enemy; what could this mean? A guy who can bend fighting for non benders who hate those who can bend."

"Perhaps he believes in their morals that benders are oppressors."

"Yeah, I guess that's a logical reason. But bending more than one element... Only the Avatar can do that, right?"

"Most correct."

"Let's say this isn't a rumor, but fact. Let's say there is a man out there managing to bend the elements. What is going on here?"

"Honestly, I couldn't tell you. I'd be as baffled as you are. Could you possibly find an answer in the Spirit World?"

"Maybe. It's definitely something new. But what is going on currently on with this conflict? Fighting? Solutions?"

"On the diplomatic side: we are at an impasse. There are plenty of non benders living here in harmony with those who can bend. On the front lines, the fighting has slowed down, but if they are starting to mobilize again, and target vulnerable areas, then we need to mobilize our troops once more. I already did give the command after our first meeting."

"That's good."

There was a brief pause.

"So, what of the little girl? Aki was it?"

"Yeah, what about her."

"What will you do with her?"

"...What are you getting at?"

"I mean that you are obviously going to be busy. I know of a great place where we can put her."

"You mean adoption?"

"Er, yes."

"No. She's been through enough. The last thing she really needs is to be handed off."

"But-"

"End of discussion. I know I will be mostly busy, but she stays with me, okay?"

Rinn grimaced. "Okay then. What are your plans with her?"

"I plan on her mastering healing but, " Ronan looked down a let out a breath, "But if there is trouble, and unknown phenomenons going on, then I plan on training her which is actually quite prefect because we both need to master water bending. Do you know a water bending master who can teach us?"

"Of course! This is Republic City after all. Master Jung would happily train you."

"Good. Plan on him training us in a weeks time."

"A week?"

"Yes. I need to catch up on some knowledge while Aki shakes off her fever. Once she does, I'm going to train her with what I know to get her started."

Rinn nodded. "That's understandable. I have books and scrolls delivered from the library to your quarters."

"Thanks. We can talk about this some more later."

"Yes, of course."

The two bowed to each other, and Rinn left, closing the security door behind him.

After a few seconds, Ronan called out, "You can come out of hiding now."

Aki was shocked. She turned the corner to show herself. "How did you know?"

He turned around, and began walking towards her. "I felt your vibrations from your feet as you walked out."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Earth bending trait. I've done it for so long, I can sense little things like that even if the ground I'm standing on isn't earth. Now, come on, you need some rest."

They entered back into the room. Aki stumbled back onto the couch, resting her head. Ronan began brewing tea for the both of them.

"You obviously heard what the plan is for the next week."

"Uh huh."

"So for now, we'll rest up, learn some stuff, then I teach you some of what I know. I find it to be essential due to state of what the world is in right now."

Ronan bowed his head, and closed his eyes, concentrating. He spoke lightly, "What do you think about this Raava?"

She spoke back. "I am not sure. I am just as confused as you are. Only the Avatar has the ability to bend the four elements. If it is true, something is awry."

Ronan looked back up. "It'll be interesting to find out."

* * *

><p><em>Two Days later...<em>

Ronan and Aki were alone in the Pro Bending Arena. They sat in the middle, facing each other, legs crossed, fists together, meditating.

"Keep your mind clear," Ronan said softly, "Empty your thoughts until everything becomes clear."

Aki was struggling to do so. Her mind was racing. The past week turned her whole world upside down that it was impossible to clear her mind. She eventually threw her hands up in the air, letting out a frustrated grunt.

"I can't do it! I just can't!"

Ronan didn't stir. He remained in the some position, still in a calm state of mind.

"It will take time. This is essential to expanding your abilities. If you cannot clear your mind, you will not fully learn or understand what we will cover."

Aki sighed and got back into the position. She let in a deep breath and exhaled.

"Try focusing on a happy memory to forget the misfortunes you have endured. Once you feel that you have, clear your mind of your happy thought, and listen to the calmness of the atmosphere surrounding you."

She thought back to a time when she and her mother watched movers late at night. They only ever managed to own three of them, but that didn't matter. It was the usually the only time they ever really got to spend time with each other. Most days her mother was gone working in another town to make a living.

It was nearly two hours until she managed to clear her mind.

"Good. I can sense that you managed to succeed. You may open your eyes now and come forward." She did so. "During my time in the Spirit World, I've classified the elements. Water is life. All living things require water to survive. Water has the ability to heal. Earth is structure. It's a highly useful element that gives strength to the masses. Air is freedom and change. Air is forever moving, weathering the landscapes. Fire is control and rebirth. This was difficult to classify. Fire was always used for its destructive unpredictability. But from the ashes comes life anew. Yet fire can still be controlled. Which leads me to say that all the elements are essential for living, but each are deadly to their own accord. If you want to win your fight against your foe, you will need to know what their element is capable of doing."

"But I won't be fighting other benders... Will I?"

"I would like to think that you won't, but you never know. You'll need to be prepared for when that time comes. For you, water bending is more powerful against fire and air. You are more vulnerable to earth."

"Why is that?"

"Naturally, water extinguishes fire. And if given enough water, a large mass of air cannot stop a strong blast of water. Earth has enough density to blow through, unless it is ice, then it has the ability to block."

"What about you? You are mainly earth, right?"

"Yes. Because earth is structure, it offers strong defense. Air can slow an earth projectile, or change its course, and a thick wall of ice can block an earth projectile. Fire cannot stop it alone unless they use combustion."

"Combustion?"

"Yes. You have most likely have not witnessed it yet, but there are few people out there who have mastered the art of combustion. When a fire bender creates fire from their fist, they combust their blast. For combustion, oxygen, heat, and fuel needs to be present. Within their body, they already possess heat and fuel. They only thing they require is oxygen which is literally everywhere on the planet. Those who mastered the art of combustion send the energy to their head, and send out a deadly explosive blast from a far distance. They only way to defeat their blast is to hit the mark on their head where they send the blast out from."

Aki was intrigued.

Ronan laughed lightly. "I don't want to wander too far off now. In five days, we will have a water bending master train us."

"You aren't a master at water bending?"

"Nope. Because Korra was a natural master of water, she never had to work on her water bending abilities. She struggled with air bending, which was Aang's natural ability. He struggle with fire bending which was Roku's natural ability and so on. So naturally, I'm a master at earth bending, but no where close with water. I only know some because I reconnected with the past Avatars during my time in the Spirit World. They taught me what they managed. Our time was always short. So I can offer you very little right now, but for now, I want to see what you can do."

He stood up and stretched. Aki did the same. She walked over to the edge of the of the arena, and looked down at the water below. She took a stance, and began making the motions. She managed to get about several liters of water up to her in the shape of a sphere.

"Okay, try to shape it into a streak of water."

She attempted to do so. The orb of water flattened out, then it fell onto the floor, soaking into the ground. She closed her eyes and sighed, embarrassed.

"It's okay. It's only a start. Now try to bend that water out of the ground."

She opened her eyes, and started at the wet spot on the ground. She took her stance again, and began pulling the water out of the ground. It was back in the form of an orb again.

After two hours, she managed to hold the form of water in the shape of a streak.

"Excellent. Now I want you to throw it at me as hard as you can."

"What?" Aki asked in confusion.

"We need to see if you can, plus I need my training too."

"Alright, here it goes."

She quickly extended her arms towards Ronan, releasing the water from her control. The streak of water began to lose its shape slightly. Ronan held out his hands, and managed to grab onto half of the water. The other half splashed him in the face.

"I'm sorry!" Aki yelled worriedly.

Ronan only laughed. "It's alright." He reformed the water back into a streak, and launched it to the outside of the arena.

"Do we continue then?" she asked.

"I think for now we will work on strength and cardio."

"Why?"

"Strength is a big deal for earth and water benders. It allows us to be able to control larger masses of our respective element. Cardio is essential for everyone for obvious reasons, but it increases our stamina, and allows us to fight for a longer period of time. They moment you begin to get winded against an opponent is the second you lose because they now have a advantage over you."

"What do we do?"

"Running, jumping. Anything that keeps your heart rate up."

"Is that what you did?"

"Yeah. That's what I mainly did as a child. I was always on the move. Running around, exploring. Climbing the trees. It was a great time."

"What was after that?"

"That was when I began being taught by Iroh and Toph. Both mentally and physically."

"How long will this take for me?"

"Considering we have time constraints, I'll just have to give you a crash course."

"... Is everything going to be okay?"

Ronan let out a breath. "I sure hope so."

* * *

><p><em>The Next Day...<em>

Ronan woke up before down. He got out of bed, stretched, then put on his clothes. He informed Aki yesterday that they were going to continue training bright and early. He went over to her room, but she wasn't in bed.

"Aki?" he called out, looking around.

Nothing.

She wasn't in the bathroom, and she wasn't in the hallway outside the apartment. As he ran down the hall, he ran into the Vice President: Long Zhong.

"Have you seen Aki?" Ronan asked.

"Actually, yes I have. About twenty minutes ago. I asked her where she was headed/ All she said was that she was going to go train."

"Okay, good. Thanks. I guess she really wants to become a master bender." Ronan ran off to go to the arena.

When he was out of sight, Zhong laughed sinisterly to himself, "Not like it's going to help when the time comes."


End file.
